4 admirable Caribbean women

Celina Caesar-Chavannes

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau handpicked Celina Caesar-Chavannes to be his personal parliamentary secretary, a move the rookie politician was told has been “months in the making.”

Celina Caesar-Chavannes (photo youtube.com)

Celina has deep roots in Whitby, Ontario where she lives with her husband and three children. She is a successful entrepreneur and the recipient of the Toronto Board of Trade’s Business Entrepreneur of the Year for 2012, as well as the 2007 Black Business and Professional Association’s Harry Jerome Young Entrepreneur Award recipient. Celina is a celebrated research consultant working with a variety of private, government and non-government organizations.

Caesar-Chavannes was born in Grenada, and subsequently emigrated to Canada. She graduated from New College at the University of Toronto, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, followed by an MBA in healthcare management and an executive MBA. She subsequently served on the University of Toronto’s governing council, including time as vice chair of the council for the University of Toronto, Scarborough.

Celina is an international lecturer on the inclusion of marginalized populations in clinical research. She is a past member of the Governing Council at the University of Toronto, and past Vice Chair of Campus Council at University of Toronto Scarborough. She also served as member of the Institutional Advisory Board with CIHR’s Institute of Neuroscience Mental Health and Addiction, and is a member of the Congress of Black Women.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born in parish in Barbados called St. Michael, to Monica (Braithwaite), an accountant, and Ronald Fenty, a warehouse supervisor.

Rihanna – photo http://flavorwire.com/

In 2005 the world was introduced to Rihanna. Soon after releasing her debut single “Pon De Replay” she transformed from Robyn Fenty— born in Barbados – to worldwide known superstar – Rihanna!

Rihanna is an eight-time Grammy award winner who also counts 12 Billboard Music Awards among other countless music accolades. Since her appearance on the music scene, Rihanna has released an album every year which has almost immediately topped the Billboard charts. She has won several awards including

in February 2013 at the 55th Grammy Awards, her sixth Grammy Award, in the category Best Short Form Music Video for “We Found Love” (2011); the 2014 Grammys when her “Unapologetic” album nabbed the award for Best Urban Contemporary Album.

On July 1, 2015 the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced that Rihanna had surpassed more than 100 million Gold & Platinum song certifications. In doing so Rihanna has the most Digital Single Awards and is the first and only artist to surpass RIAA’s 100 million cumulative singles award threshold. Rihanna joined the ninth season of The Voice as the main advisor in September 2015.

Aside from her musical achievements, Rihanna is bona fide business woman with multiple entrepreneurial ventures. However, most importantly, her undeniable cultural influence has forever imprinted her in history as a global icon despite her young age.

In March 2015 it was announced that Rihanna was chosen as the new face of Dior; this makes her the first black woman to be the face of Dior While modeling in a Dior Secret Garden advertisement, Rihanna teased a 1-minute clip of a song called “Only If For A Night” that is allegedly on her upcoming studio album.

Kittisha Doyle

Kittisha Doyle (Photo – redcarpetshelley.com)

Kittisha Doyle from Grenada impressed the judges with her charm, toned physique and her promise to represent the Caribbean, and proudly became the winner of 2015 Caribbean’s Next Top Model Cycle 2.

The Grenadian born model, who is nineteen and six feet tall, has been modeling for a number of years and began making her dreams a reality by signing with a modeling agency in Grenada where, she was able to hone her skills and build her confidence. Doyle is strong willed, joyful and spontaneous, and in her spare time she enjoys fishing, hiking, reading and writing.

“Flow is extremely proud of Kittisha Doyle and we congratulate her on this “early New Year’s” gift, said John Reid, President of Flow.

Caribbean’s Next Top Model is produced by Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam and is a reality television competition based on the original production America’s Next Top Model, and the America’s Next Top Model format, licensed by CBS International. The series follows the stories of aspiring young women seeking to launch a career in the competitive world of modeling.

Wendy Fitzwilliam shared her sentiments about Cycle 2, stating – “I am especially excited about Kittisha. Her development over the course of the cycle from a fledgling young beauty into a confident model is certainly impressive. Kittisha is like a diamond in the rough – she came in as a shy young woman with raw talent who was determined to learn at every step of the way.

Kittisha Doyle (Photo) – www.rtvgames.com

Her focus remained steadfast on improving her own performance, the ultimate weapon for success, in this competition, this industry and life. The level of confidence that she has developed and the knowledge garnered from this experience has certainly prepared her to take the world catwalk by storm.”

Simona Broomes

Simona Broomes

Before she became a Minister in the current coalition Guyana government, Simona Broomes came to public attention with her hands-on approach to fighting the scourge of human trafficking which coincided with an official indifference to the phenomenon and perhaps, not surprisingly, it was the United States government that recognised and publicly honored her as one of the 2013 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report Heroes.

“As president of one of the world’s few associations for women miners, Simona Broomes travels regularly to gold and diamond mining camps in the South American country of Guyana to rescue underage girls working as prostitutes.” (usatoday.com)

According to stabroeknews.com, “Broomes says she wants to work with the Guyana labour movement and the private sector though there is evidence that the two institutions have themselves, over the years, been blissfully ignoring the problems in the work force to which she is now drawing attention.” Read complete article here.